


Communication Issues

by swordPrincess



Category: Homestuck
Genre: M/M, but we are doing this thing to the end, sorta AU now, totally disproven at this point
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-10
Updated: 2013-01-23
Packaged: 2017-11-20 20:28:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/589337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swordPrincess/pseuds/swordPrincess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Narrative continuation of the pesterlog from <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/581847">Talk About It</a>. Will thinking about things make it worse or better? Will things come back stronger, or will everything come crashing down? Dirk thinks too much. Jake's head hurts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dirk: Contemplate

**Author's Note:**

> I've separated this piece off from Talk About It because I'll be going in a more concrete direction here that isn't required by the open-ended nature of the pesterlog itself. This fic is also exponentially more likely to be shot down by canon.
> 
> POV will switch between chapters.
> 
> Also, I know I said narrative, but there still is a lot of log in this particular chapter. There will be less later.
> 
> (For anyone that might be new to this fic - the last Homestuck thing that happened before I planned all the way to the end of this was Roxy being kidnapped to Derse.)
> 
> Edit: I originally wrote this fic when I was still with my ex, and I pulled a lot of reference from my own relationship, which the text I read at the start of Act 6 Act 5 reminded me of. Much of my motivation was in convincing myself that I shouldn't break up with her, so parts of this fic now make me supremely uncomfortable, I'll add more notes at the end so I won't spoil, but I did want to say this upfront.

**> Be Dirk**

You put your hands over your face, willing yourself to not stare at the words any longer. Your pointer fingers are underneath your shades, resting on your eyelids and your middle fingers occupy the spaces at the corners next to your nose.

Not that you could spend all day like that.

Not that it would help.

Even without physically seeing anymore, you stared at the last words long enough that they are well ingrained into your brain and your thoughts cannot be stopped by a mere cessation of the visual.

You remove your hands and look again. You stare for another minute before finally willing yourself to close the log.

You sigh.

Your eyes trail over to his chum handle and you force them shut again. _Don't do that, bro, don't._

Your mind is busy going over every detail of what was said to try to analyze what it might possibly mean. The chances of a positive result seem both unbearably bleak and yet hopeful at the same time.

Well if you are going to talk to yourself - and let's face it, that's all you have to talk to, you have enough awareness to not bother the girls with this crap and you don't like opening up to people that much anyway - you might as well talk to a version of yourself with more distance from the issue. Might help sort out your jumbled thoughts. That was his purpose, wasn't it?

TT: You rang?   
TT: You read the log with Jake just now, right?   
TT: Of course. What was with that last line anyway?   
TT: Who does he think he is, Han Solo?

As much as it would normally irritate you to be Princess Leia in a situation anything other than ironically, you lodge that idea as still being far preferable to the more likely reasons.

TT: If only it were that simple.   
TT: It seems you have just acknowledged you'd rather be a princess than consider that a dude might be questioning his feelings for you.   
TT: Oh how the mighty have fallen.   
TT: Shut up.

You expect the teasing. After all, it's what you would do to yourself in that position. You also don't literally want the Responder to shut up. It would remove the point of you contacting him. He knows this, of course.

TT: Maybe you should stop being so obsessive over him?   
TT: You know the whole "if you love something, let it go" deal?

Except you are afraid. You are afraid that Jake will see what it is like without you again and prefer it that way. That he won't come back. He isn't yours. You won't mention this, though. You make a crack instead.

TT: So let me get this straight. You. Are telling me. To stop being so obsessive. About Jake.   
TT: Whoa there. No need to get with the excessive periods like our Jigsaw non-friend.   
TT: That shit isn't even ironic.   
TT: I give great advice.   
TT: Doesn't mean I listen to it.   
TT: And suddenly everything that is wrong with my life comes into sharp relief.

That's true, isn't it? Your mind is logical. You go through a thousand contingencies. You have a computerize version of your brain with several million more. Your ideas should be nearly foolproof; your advice completely sound. But the problem arises that if the logical conclusion happens to be one that contradicts what you want, you refuse to waver.

You won't listen to even your own advice if it isn't something you want to hear.

TT: Nevermind that.   
TT: What I want to know is - what changed? He seemed happy with me before. Did I start behaving differently?   
TT: Well, you did start showing more emotion to him. Maybe you scared him off?   
TT: Maybe he preferred your robotic emotional distance.   
TT: So I should act less human? Because you've had such overwhelming success with him.   
TT: I know, right?   
TT: But your insincere statement only works against you here. Previous to your relationship, I showed more emotion to the dude than you did.   
TT: That's not it, though.   
TT: Things were still fine when I was doing that.   
TT: You weren't so clingy then.   
TT: He wasn't ignoring me then, either.   
TT: As far as I can tell, none of my behaviors changed between the last instance of him seeming satisfied and the first instance of him seeming unsatisfied.   
TT: Maybe he simply got bored of your behaviors?

Jake is fickle, so you consider this possibility seriously. You've considered it before as well. But what else could you do to make things interesting for him? You don't feel anyone else could fair any better than you have. What could he possibly want?

TT: I wish he'd talk to me about what I've done wrong.   
TT: Okay, here's a point: What about all he's done wrong?   
TT: What about it?   
TT: Shouldn't you bring that up with him as well?   
TT: If I criticize him, he might want to leave me.   
TT: He doesn't need to change, I can put up with it.   
TT: So he can stomp all over your feelings, but you are willing to change just to keep him?   
TT: It seems you are bat shit crazy.   
TT: Your common sense was last seen somewhere around the orbit of Pluto.   
TT: He'd have to do something deliberately malicious for me to want to leave him.   
TT: And since we are now completely outside the solar system's universe, it seems it is utterly unreachable now.   
TT: It seems your common sense may have been destroyed with the Red Miles.

You find an actual laugh trying to work its way through you and you surpress it and bite your lip. You have to find it funny, because if you don't it's too pathetic.

It's probably too pathetic anyway. What happened to Dirk Strider, the badass who could take anything? The stoic sword master that could handle whatever shit you could throw at him with a straight face?

That person is a joke.

A joke you lived, a joke you took very seriously, a joke you became. But a joke nonetheless.

An outer metal shell concealing something squishy.

Like a man in a mech.

Or a stuffed animal in a robot shell.

Layers, huh?

TT: So what are the chances he'll come back to me?   
TT: Well, he was trying to break up with you just now.   
TT: I know. It was hard for him even before what I said, though.   
TT: I delayed him at least, but I don't know if what I said helped or hurt me.   
TT: I don't know.   
TT: You have a better capability of analyzing the data than me. Run the numbers.   
TT: It seems...   
TT: It seems that I don't know either.


	2. Jake: Think About It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happened to have off from work today, so I was able to work on this more. Will definitely not do two updates in less than 24 hours in the future, but I will write when I can.

**> Be Jake**

Well, that didn't go quite as planned. Or even really remotely as planned.

You sigh again.

What to do?

You are supposed to think about what Dirk said. But frankly, his little bit of twisted logic has just made you more irritated. Why did he have to go and make this about your friendship like that? Confound it, Strider! What if you did decide he was no longer worthy of being your friend? That would show him, that frigging uppity, know-it-all, bothersome Dirk!

You sigh again, more deeply this time, and take a peek at your lock screen again.

When did things go so wrong? If only Dirk had just trusted you and let you be and maybe didn't go on and on about stuff you could barely follow so much. Too many words.

Your head hurts.

It's been hurting off and on ever since the day you started this game, but especially lately, since you've been more irritated.

So what are you meant to be thinking about again?

If you'd feel any differently about Dirk if he wasn't your boyfriend anymore?

Would he really still be acting so clingy if he wasn't? He claimed that he'd act the same, but you aren't so sure. He wasn't like that before. Hell, the day you entered this game you couldn't even talk to him before all that awfulness!

Anyway, saying he'd act the same strikes you less as a vote of confidence in him continuing to be your boyfriend and more as a reason to question his friendship. But then that thought makes you sad.

Maybe he is just someone that you can only bear at long distances, or in short bursts. Someone you need to be able to walk away from when it becomes too much. Or maybe that's just how you are with people and general, but haven't been able to realize it until now because you've been so isolated. But it's only Dirk now trying to smother you.

He says he can fix things, but maybe you don't want him to. You've had enough of his "fixing" already. You are an independent person and he is just so controlling!

You are making your head hurt more.

You lay down on the grass of LOMAX and spread your arms and legs out like the starting position of a child making snow angels.

Dag-fucking-nabbit!

Why does everything have to be so difficult?

You sit up again and look around. Erisol is still nowhere in sight. You unlock your phone again to look at your chum list. There's only one person left you could possibly talk to.

GT: Roxy?  
GT: If its not too much of a bother perhaps you could help me out here?  
GT: I seem to be in a bit of a tight quandry and also jane is mad at me for some reason.  
GT: Maybe you could help me with that too? You are with her right?  
GT: Roxy?  
GT: ...Roxy?

There is no answer. The chat continues its silence until your phone locks itself from disuse.

Your heart thumps painfully. Your head quickly follows.

What is with everyone today? Have they all decided to pull a collective prank on you? Haha, very funny guys. You are so on to their schemes.

You laugh and unlock your screen again.

GT: I get it now.  
GT: Haha very funny. The jig is up.  
GT: Its not even april 1st you know.  
GT: Come on roxy.

Still nothing. You begin to worry, and with the worry the pain returns.

You laugh again and it dissipates slightly. But the relief is temporary.

Fine, whatever, let them have their laugh. You won't let it get it you. You'll just...go have your own fun without them!

You drag yourself up to your feet.

That'll show them!

That'll...

THIS IS STUPID.

A foot still in the air from taking a long stride forward, you collapse back to the ground. The leg falls a moment after the rest of you. Your hands curl into fists, grabbing bits of grass.

THIS IS BORING.

You need an adventure. And killing the skeleton guys isn't even fun anymore. It's just more of the same. Attack after attack, they take so long to die, but the challenge isn't even a thrill anymore.

Not that you find challenge in of itself fun in the first place. You don't really like things too hard, you'd much more prefer them to be different and interesting and inventive.

There was a time when you and Dirk were fighting some of the weaker ones - that is to say, they still took eons to kill, but they didn't do you much damage - that you kissed during the battle. It made your head feel a bit fuzzy and was somehow just the right amount of thrilling at the time.

Why didn't you do stuff like that anymore?

Oh, right, Dirk's planet and the dad-blasted masks.

You reopen your phone and take a look at his handle and consider for a moment. But no, you don't want to yet. He's only going to disappoint you.

And you are tired of being disappointed.


	3. Dirk: Look For a Distraction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I lost internet for the moment, so I haven't been able to upload anything. I'm currently sitting outside a Starbucks. Anyway, I should officially have internet back on Tuesday. I'll probably have another chapter up then.
> 
> Also, the fic is pretty much completely planned through now. If I write anything more within this continuity (past the 8 chapters I planned for this), I'll switch fic again.
> 
> I hope I didn't scare DuosAngel away with my long response comment to them on chapter one. I like comments, really.
> 
> Also, Keitorin I'm mentioning because there bookmark of Talk About It was apparently their 413th and I thought that was cool or something.
> 
> Anyway, I should probably stop talking here so you can read the fic, yes?

You have to stop thinking about this. You are only going to drive yourself crazy. You've already pulled every bit apart as much as you can and you still aren't any closer to knowing. Only Jake contacting you again can solve this, and you have no fucking clue when that's going to be. It may not even be today.

It is taking way too much of your effort to not try to talk to him yourself again. Man, you need a distraction.

Well...there was that place you were offering to check out with Jake before. Maybe you can do something like a reconnaissance mission and just scope it out. See if it really does lead to the Lion's Den like you supposed from your last trip.

That'll distract you.

So you equip your mask and head downward, jumping off from your high perch. Once you land on the ground you quickly move to the entrance of the caverns you explored before.

As you continue your decent, you flash step past numerous skeletons of various sizes. It's not that you need to avoid a fight - it's just that they take up so much of your time, and this tunnel is so long. You'd actually like to get past the point you have already.

Since you are doing a speed run, it doesn't take too terribly long before you arrive at the entryway. There appears to be a puzzle of sorts here. Some writing and skull areas. Nothing too unusual, except that the entrance looks especially grand compared to others. You had thought Jake might enjoy figuring this one out.

Not that it seems to matter. The entry has no door; the way isn't shut.

You are suspicious of it however, so after pausing for a moment to examine it once more, you enter the next area very cautiously.

Once you are inside fully, a slab slams down behind you, sealing the entryway.

_Crap._

You should have expected that, really.

Your head turns to examine the closed-off entryway, when just then you sense a presence. You whip back around and put your sword up to block just in time to meet a massive skeletal enemy. The force of its blow is enough to push your body to the wall.

As it draws back to launch a second attack, you roll away against the wall, its weapon hitting the area you stood just a moment before. You quickly move yourself around it toward the center of the room and strike it from behind.

You play an evasive game with it. It seems the creature can move pretty fast in a straight line, like when it came right for you initially, but has trouble turning efficiently. You use this to your advantage. You try to make as many blows as possible before it can catch up to you, but sometimes this can be precious few. Sometimes you give a few too many blows and it catches you with a hit before you escape again.

Still, slowly but surely, you are defeating it. You are winning. Eventually, you can tell you've almost got it finished off. You land another series of blows on it and once again go on a little to long.

You raise your sword to block the hit, but it is a little bit lower than you anticipated; your sword leaves your hand and flies several feet across the area and lands on the floor. Your right hand instinctively goes to cover your injured left. You move to retrieve your sword.

Finally not made to spin in a circle, the enemy catches you again, aiming higher this time. That would have been an injury to the face, but thankfully it just hits your mask and you aren't hurt by it.

Thankfully...

Perhaps not so thankfully, you realize as you grab your sword, immediately bringing it up to defend yourself again. You notice now a small crack where the enemy struck the surface.

This could be problematic.


	4. Jake: Find an Adventure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took me quite a bit longer than expected. I've had...something of a bad week.
> 
> Thank you again to those that left comments. I really appreciate them.
> 
> Also sorry for the shortness. Basically, this chapter is really the beginning of what will be chapter 6, and the next chapter to go up is really the end of 3, but I split up both while planning them out for suspense reasons. They did not get split evenly.

You square your sights on the undead imp guy. Lately, the preference has been to avoid battle, what with how ridiculously boring they can get, but this particular one is in your way.

Okay, so maybe you aren't exactly doing what you said you would, having abandoned thought to adventure once again, but Dirk's malarkey can wait and you do as you please.

You can't really see the details of the creature that much - it's backlit by that red glow coming from the trenches crossing the land. You haven't actually fought this close to it before, but at least your guns allow you to keep your distance.

You went down there once with the masks on. You decended pretty far, you thought, but didn't reach any sort of bottom. It seemed like a classic treasure bait, didn't it? X marks the spot and all. But if there is anything down there, you guess you'll need more clues before you try again.

And so here you are, trying the old hand at it again, you suppose.

When you hit the underling, it starts coming after you and you start backing up. Although, you suppose you shouldn't kite it too far, or you might run into some others you avoided earlier-

_Ow._

Your thought is interrupted by a small, sharp object grazing your noggin. Looks like the thing made the decision less relevant by stopping and throwing things at you.

You attempt to show it how boorish its actions are by suddenly flying into a rage and charging at it, guns blazing. Your sudden assault doesn't kill the thing, but it does knock it to the ground for a bit.

You stand over it, firing a few more shots into it, since you are just waiting for it to get back up and all. The more damage you can do with any time you have, the faster this can be over. And holy smokes, do you want this to be over.

You decide to kick it in the skull.

As your foot is raised in stride, your phone goes off, informing you that you have a message. You quickly pull it out, remembering your messages to Roxy earlier, and just as you do so, the monster finally moves from its prone position. You trip forward, toward the trench, and your phone flies from your hand into the chasm below.

You get a few lungfuls of Xenon before you manage to drag yourself away enough and proceed to have a spirited coughing fit.

Your phone is gone, you are temporarily somewhat incapacitated and the enemy is already attacking you again. You attempt to defend yourself between coughs.

Well...isn't this all just...

Fuck.


	5. Dirk: Take Drastic Measures

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was able to get this up quickly since it's super short.

Yeah, there is definitely gas leaking into your mask through the miniscule crack. For the moment, oxygen is still plentiful enough, but each breath isn't doing quite what it used to.

And you are suddenly on the defensive.

There's only so much you can do from this position. Backed into a literal and fugurative corner, you do something that takes all your willpower in order to surpress your pride.

TT: Help!

The message is sent to all of your friends at once. That one word is all the distraction you can afford, however, as the large monster is bearing down on you.

You block the strike with your sword, and push it back, but don't manage to land a good strike of your own before you are forced to defend again.

Your mind registers red lines of text, but you can't let yourself concentrate on that enough to read them. You catch enough to know that the Responder is taking up your distress call. At least you can trust him enough for that.

You breathe heavily, each time sucking in less oxygen.

The undead enemy strikes again, and this time you are unable to push back properly. Its weight continues to come slowly down on you, bearing you to the ground. You suck in another long drag of the mixed air in your mask and push upward again. You regain some ground, but then it overpowers you again.

Your left hand isn't really in shape to grip properly, but you put it under your other on the blade and use the additional arm strength to push forward again.

It works for the moment, but it isn't long before another strike comes and the struggle continues.

You don't have much more time. If no one comes, it's more a wager if you can hold out long enough to asphyxiate.

The odds don't matter, because either way you lose.


	6. Jake: Recover

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently I was productive today. Merry Christmas I guess?

After sucking in some large gulps of air, you regain control over the fight and run the skeleton into the ground again.

Now about that message...

It's a good thing you never carry less than five computers on you at once.

You cringe a bit when you see that it's Dirk. He's already contacting you, really? He can't wait...however long it's been?

You put a foot firmly on the undead not-quite corpse and fire some shots while not really paying attention to it.

You open the message.

TT: Help!

Help? What in the name of?

TT: Hey, Jake. I know we don't really get along famously, but you have to listen.  
TT: Dirk is in serious trouble.  
TT: Like the kind he actually can't get out of by himself.  
TT: The numbers on this are not good, trust me.  
TT: Jane seems to have destroyed her devices, so I can't talk to her.  
TT: Roxy isn't answering.

One more line appears before you can respond.

TT: Of course, you aren't either.  
GT: Im here.

You don't question or doubt the seriousness of the problem. Beside the fact that it isn't in your nature to disbelieve, Dirk never asks for help. He asks for you company, he asks for other things, but never for help. He always presents himself as one capable of pretty much anything, so if he says he is in trouble, you are sure he is.

GT: Where do i go?

You already have your mask on, which is, of course, also a computer. You think-type at it as you move toward the gates. You never built up, but all of you have means to travel there, either through rockets or windows.

The Responder directs you to the place Dirk was talking about earlier. He must have decided to go without you. You feel oddly miffed, even though you hadn't wanted to go when he offered.

GT: What in sam fucking hill was down there that he is in such a bad state?  
TT: Nothing too special, other than getting trapped in the room.  
TT: Except that it managed to crack his mask.

You feel your eyes widen. That is...really not good.

You may have had some rather negative thoughts about Dirk lately, but you certainly don't want him to die.

You reach the entrance of the area and quickly drop down.

You don't have Dirk's ability to stealth, and are noticed immediately by many skeletons, but you don't have time for them. You barrel through, collecting more and more of them following you as you run.

You collect some hits as you pass, but you barely register them.

You let out a yell. This does nothing other than make the enemies ahead of you notice you too.

TT: Hey, bro, I know you are trying to help and all, but aren't you being a little suicidal?  
GT: If i slow down to fight the frigging things dirk will die. Right?  
TT: Right.

Everything took way to long to kill. Fighting one might be more time than you can afford, nevermind a hoard of them.

You reach the dead end, beyond which Dirk is presumed to be struggling for his life. A humongous mob of enemies is right behind you. You have no time to think, not that thinking has ever been your strong suit. You have no time to fight them. If you don't do something now, both you and Dirk will die.

So you rely on the only thing of yours that has gotten you through such a tight spot.

Instinct.

As the skeletons come up behind you, you grab two of them by the head and slam their still living (in an undead sort of way) skulls into the slots and the slab door opens, rising back up into place. You don't wait for it to finish, and duck yourself under it.

You see the large monster immediately, then your eyes find Dirk on the ground under its weapon. He is holding it off, but only barely, the enemy blade is inches from him.

You scream again and shoot at it to draw its attention. It turns toward you and Dirk's arms go limp with the removed pressure. He doesn't look at you. You aren't sure he can look at anything right now.

With the door fully open, the mob has followed you in. More jostle at the entrance, effectively making it impossible to exit that way. The other exit goes further down into the krypton-filled den.

But there must be a way.

You quickly grab Dirk as you shoot more at the large skeletal creature.

There has to be. You believe it.

You look up.

You direct your shots at the thing's neck.

You jump up onto it and twist and pull its head off with the arm not hanging onto Dirk. You jump and shoot to propel yourself upward, slamming the head into a mark you saw in the ceiling.

There is literally no way you should know this could work, but you somehow do.

You are launched several feet into a tunnel access before you start to fall again. Just as you pass through the hole again, you manage to get out the rocket board, a copy made for you in case you needed it, and blast up into it once more.

You clear the tunnel and don't stop going up until you reach the top of one of the structures on Dirk's land.

You drop Dirk onto the roof area and collapse onto your hands and knees for a moment. Then you take off your mask and crawl over to Dirk to remove his.

You stare at him a moment.

He isn't breathing.

Your heart jabs painfully in your chest and you nervously put yourself in position to perform CPR.

Because he can't be dead. Not after all that, after just barely making it out and you don't even know how you did if you actually think about it and and and...

As you put his mouth to his to force in a breath, you try not to think about what your lips touching means or how it feels or any of the times they had done so before.

It's crazy, because it wasn't that long ago you were almost sure you wanted to break up with him, but now that he is underneath you, and your lips are touching (not the first time you've had to do that to save him), it's almost like it's right back to one of those times. You could almost feel the pressure of his kiss and the weight of his arms around your body.

Or maybe you really can feel them-

_Wait, what?_


	7. Dirk: Wake Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A slight edit was made to the last chapter.
> 
> Well, here we are, folks. This has been disproven for awhile and things have gotten crazy, but I haven't written since Christmas Eve and I am so sorry for that.
> 
> But I will finish this.

You kiss him as a sort of gut instinct. The last thing you knew, you couldn't breathe in enough oxygen and you were losing that battle. Maybe you died, you don't know. But you do know the feel of those lips - you recognize them as belonging to none other than Jake English and you think that maybe even if you died that this isn't so bad.

You reach to squeeze his ass for good measure.

He makes a startled reaction at that and your brain starts to catch up with your surroundings. You aren't dead. You are at the top of a tower on LOTAK and the Jake English in front of you is none other than the Jake English that was attempting to break up with you not long before.

You are beginning to think you may have made a huge mistake.

But then you look at him more closely, and there's something about him that makes your worries fade away for awhile. Right now he is the most wonderful thing you have ever feasted your eyes upon. He is as if he could be accompanied by a trail of sparkles, a background of roses, maybe a choir of angels singing.

He is there, really there, like he hasn't been in ages, and he makes your heart melt.

You prop yourself up onto your elbows and just stare up at him.

Then he baffles you by taking out one of his computers. What the fuck is he doing now?

A message appears in a window on your shades.

GT: Jirk.

A short, startled laugh pops out of your mouth at the word. You aren't sure if it's meant as an insult or a term of endearment, but it seems like both.

Jake puts the computer away and smiles at you. He tells you that you worried him.

It dawns on you that he has just saved your life. That is so... _hot_.

You apologize and thank him for saving you. You want to ask him now if he'd come to a decision about your relationship, but suddenly fear the answer, despite his good demeanor. Before you were so desperate to get out of that cycle of him ignoring you and treating you as something that had to be put up with that you couldn't stand a continuance. Now you have no wish to remind him of your problems. Perhaps he will forget about them and love you again.

Jake turns around and starts talking excitedly again. You listen as best you can while staring at his choice rump.

He turns to face you again, looking at you inquisitively and holding out a hand, asking you if you were going to get up. You inform him that you were admiring the view as you grasp his hand, bringing yourself to your feet.

You notice that he blushes slightly, but also looks somewhat uncomfortable. Then he looks to the side and brings up the decision he was supposed to make.

Your heart skips a beat.

I don't think I want to break up with you now, he tells you. Then he continues with a list of stipulations that includes not being so boring and giving him his space when he needs it.

You are too busy being relieved to care. Done, you say.

A smile comes to your face, despite your best efforts. It seems to make him happy, however, so you suppose you should just let it go.

You reach your hand back out to his, but pause right before touching it, close enough to feel its heat, deciding to wait for his response.

He looks at you and takes your hand in his, grasping it warmly.

It feels good. It feels right. It feels like a piece of your heart that had been missing was returned to you again. The piece you spent most of your life not even knowing you had, but once you did, you couldn't let it go and still feel whole again.

Jake tells you that he wants to leave this place.

Alright, you say.

Time to blow this popsicle stand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...That last line just means leave, no matter what your dirty mind might think. ;)
> 
> Okay, so maybe I just said that to make you think it.
> 
> Next chapter will be the last one for this.


	8. Jake: Return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have been beyond disproven in so many ways, but I needed to finish this up. I hope you guys can still enjoy this, despite what has happened.

You both get back on the rocket board and take off. Dirk controls it now that he's fully conscious, and he is much better at handling it than you.

You still feel rather exhilerated from everything that has just happened, like a rush through your bloodstream. As you hang onto him in the board, you start to kiss the back of his neck lightly. He stiffens for a moment, and then relaxes back up a bit. Although, in your opinion, he never seems fully relaxed.

You both get back off at LOMAX. You spy Erisolsprite and wave.

ERISOLSPRITE: fuck.  
JAKE: Hi mr erisol! I have returned!

Erisol just gives you the finger, as usual. Oh, Mr. Erisol, up to his antics again.

DIRK: Dude, you know that he hates you, right?  
ERISOLSPRITE: ii fuckiin hate you twwo.  
DIRK: Thank you.

You raise an eyebrow and blink at the two of them. Erisolsprite is always just ribbing you, right? Oh, of course, Dirk is just in on the joke and seeming all serious about it, as always!

You take in a deep breath and grin. Today had started out to seem rather shitty, but things were really turning up! It would be sunshine and roses soon enough! Well, actually, roses were rather unlikely, but there was plenty of green grass around, so it was bright and cheery enough. Certainly an improvement from Dirk's Land.

ERISOLSPRITE: wwhat are you evven 2miiliing for you dumb 2hiit.  
ERISOLSPRITE: 2hould ii take it you twwo nooknozzle2 made up wwiith each other?  
ERISOLSPRITE: actually nevvermiind that. ii dont evven care. why diid ii a2k? iit2 liike iim outreachiin for extra torture twwo my thiinkpan.

You ignore that last bit.

JAKE: Yes we did as a matter of fact!

You lean in closer to Dirk. He turns to look at you and you give him a big, toothy smile. The corners of his lips twitch up, as if they might respond for a moment, but something is holding it in. You put both of your arms around him.

ERISOLSPRITE: iif you twwo start kii22iin riight here ii thiink iim gonna hurl. not that ii havve anythiin TWWO hurl. but iill fiind a wway.

You look over at the sprite and laugh. You feel Dirk's fingers on your chin soon after and he pulls your face back his way.

DIRK: So what do you say? Want to make Fucksprite barf?  
JAKE: Ehehehe. You shouldnt be so mean, you Jirk.

You laugh lightly again at your second use of the name.

JAKE: But maybe.

You come halfway toward Dirk, and he does the same, but right before you lips meet, you remember something.

JAKE: Oh!

You pull away, leaving Dirk to kiss the air.

His eyebrows raise above his shades, one slightly higher than the other and he lets go of you.

DIRK: What the fuck, Jake?  
JAKE: Roxy! I almost forgot what with all the hullabaloo. I attempted to contact her earlier for some advice.  
DIRK: And what happened?  
JAKE: She didnt answer.

You pull out one of your devices again to double check that she hadn't done so in the meantime. Still nothing.

Dirk looks at you questioningly, you shake your head.

DIRK: Guess we should check up on her, then. We can help out the girls while we are there, do something to make up for this shit.  
JAKE: Oh yeah. Jane was quite angry at me before. I should attempt to be the gentleman and offer some recompense.  
JAKE: Although i am still not sure what exactly i did to spur her.

You only now notice that Erisolsprite took off at some point. Maybe not too far, but at least out of sight.

Dirk sighs.

DIRK: We should all talk at some point. For now, let's just see what is going on.

You put yourselves back on your travelling accommodations and take off to LOPAN.

You don't imagine to find the party set up in shambles and the girls missing. ...Another adventure awaits?

Whatever the case, you'll solve it together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's that! I think I originally intended the conversation here to be longer, but I planned that back in December and I can't remember now, I'm sorry. I need to start taking notes if I'm going to go on writing hiatus for weeks like that.
> 
> Anyway, I actually got a huge plot bunny for a non-sburb Dirk/Jake au story, so hopefully I'll get the first bit of that up soon!

**Author's Note:**

> 1/23/14: As I edited to say at the beginning, due to my past relationship circumstances, this fic now makes me uncomfortable, particularly in the way I handled them getting back together. I, like Dirk, felt I was more invested in the relationship and therefore felt like I should have to put up with all of my ex's bullshit like some sort of penance. In retrospect, I'd be much happier with this if they had both apologized, rather than just Dirk. I feel that the way this fic is, it would only lead them to more trouble down the line. Hopefully in whatever alternate reality this fic lies in, Dirk would finally be able to be honest and Jake would care enough to change his ways as well.


End file.
